


Underneath the Shifting Sands

by witchbreaker



Series: The Grass Chunin Exams [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: DoS spinoff, fanfiception
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-04-23 18:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4886920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchbreaker/pseuds/witchbreaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gaara goes to Grass Chunin Exams to prove his worthiness of the title of Kazekage. A partial Team 7 is there as well and, like usual, nothing turns out the way he expects it to when Shikako Nara is around. </p><p>Based on Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One-ish

**Author's Note:**

> This is in chapters because it has gotten way to long for me to justify being one piece and isn't completed because I need to post something to make myself feel better about the fact that I'm only half way through my notes. I don't know how Silver Queen does it. 
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy and will edit later.

Gaara isn’t sure what to make of Shikako Nara. On the one hand, he is glad to have her as a friend. On the other, he is not sure _how_ that happened. He understands why Naruto is his friend. He looked at Gaara and saw himself and refused to let either stay in the darkness. But Shikako remains a mystery. 

_“I thought it would be_ better _.”_

He still doesn’t understand why she thought letting a mad jinchuriki escape would be better than imprisoning him. Doesn’t know why she takes time to inform him about Akatsuki or advise him about Temujin’s army. She acts like they are teammates though he tried to slaughter her loved ones. Even Temari and Kankuro who he has treated, marginally, better than everyone else don’t act like that around him. 

He supposes it will always be a mystery. Just like how she knows _loneliness._ The kind that tears you apart until you are nothing but scraps in the wind. Sand’s file on her is sparse but the details about her family and their close bond seems to be accurate. He thinks about asking her, but discards the idea. His friends’ secrets are theirs to keep. 

He is glad to see her at the Grass Chunin Exams. It is good to know the events at Shi Kara Ikioi-en did not permanently damage her. Sasuke’s friendliness is a surprise but welcomed. It offsets the nervousness from the other Leaf ninja. Gaara refuses to dwell on that. They have every right to be nervous around him and he can only hope that his actions will one day eliminated it. 

“You’ll be a great Kazekage.” Shikako tells him. The words catch him by surprise. She said it like it was a fact. Like he had not spent half his life rampaging through anything that would put up a fight. Had not earned the title of ‘monster’ and ‘insane jinchuriki’. The support fills him with warmth, but before he can respond they are confronted by the other competitors. 

No one dares to be outright aggressive. Eyes do nothing but evaluate and words are flung that are meant to cut at hearts, not form jutsu. They are merely testing, seeing whole will rise to the bait. All twelve of them ignore it. It works remarkably well. Gaara finds himself enjoying eating a meal with others for once. 

Even the interruption is pleasant. Haku, Chojuro, Yoro, and Shiku slide into their group like water. Easily mixing with them after Shikako and Sasuke give them their stamp of approval. Gaara wonders if this is how people usually make friends. Well, he is fairly sure that a twenty-three step handshake is not usually part of making friends but he does it all the same. 

This is nice. It makes him more determined to become Kazekage. If he can make friends here, be something other than a monster in these people’s eyes, then he can do it in Suna. 

(x)

Gaara and his siblings breeze through the First Exam without much effort. The shinobi gave them a wide berth and the Wind Daimyo is eager to hand over the token. The lord likes him. Most likely because Gaara treats him more respect then his father ever did. 

“Do you play poker?” The daimiyo asks. 

“No,” Gaara replies. “But I do know the rules.” 

“I hope you are good at it. Grass is going to make it key to the next section.” 

“It will not be a problem. Thank you for the information.” The daimiyo taps his fingers together. 

“How is the alliance between Mist and Leaf coming along?” 

“Well.” Gaara replies. Like he had planned for that lunch to spiral into something much bigger. 

“Excellent.” Good relationships mean more trading between nations. Gaara can see him calculate what this new alliance will mean for the daimiyo’s coffers. It works in Gaara’s favor. His support will make it easier to negotiate with Tsunade-sama and the new Mizukage. “Good luck with the rest of the Exams.” 

With that dismissal they return to the starting point. As the first team back, then spend the remaining time in silence. Temari leans against her fan as Kankuro sits on the ground, fiddling with spare parts for Karasu. Gaara stands as he watches the rest of the teams trickle in. First is a Grass team, the second Rock. The third is the Mist team who make their way towards them as soon as they are declared passing. 

“Hello Gaara-san, Temari-san, Kankuro-san.” Haku says as his group sits down next to them. “How are you finding this Exam?”

“It’s fine.” Kankuro says. “Not as bad as the last one.” 

“That was in Hidden Leaf, wasn’t it?” Chujuro asks. Gaara nods. 

“So, how do you know Team Seven?” Temari asked. Shikako had said that they had met Haku on a mission, but nothing about what had happened. Which was wise since the whole hall had been ease dropping on them but now they have, some, privacy. 

“Zabuza-sama and I came across them while we were gathering funds for the Rebellion.” 

“You tried to kill them.” Gaara says as he picks up on the subtext. Chojuro stiffens as Yoro and Shiku fidget. 

“…only disable.” Haku hedges. Kankuro snorts. 

“Let me guess, they kicked your ass and then declared you friends.” Haku’s mouth twitches with a smile. 

“I take it that something similar happened to you as well?” 

“Team Seven granted us mercy after we could no longer join the Invasion.” Gaara knows that he has revealed much with those words. He reveals their failure, the power of Team Seven, the debt that started the friendship between them, and what others would consider Leaf’s weakness. All those could be used against them. He considers it a worthwhile risk. Haku is Mist’s ambassador and how he reacts will let Gaara know how honest the Great Village is in their desire to for an alliance. 

Haku gives him a look of complete understanding. 

“Their capacity for forgiveness is great.” He murmurs, clearly remembering his own encounter with Team Seven. “We had been contracted to kill someone they were body guarding. The contract was dissolved before anyone was permanently injured but Sasuke-kun required medical attention.” 

“The past has little bearing on who they wish to be friends with.” Gaara says. 

“Do any of them know how to make friends the normal way?” Kankuro complains. 

“I doubt Team Seven even knows what _normal_ is.” Temari retorts. 

“Naruto-kun would avoid it if he knew,” Haku adds. “It would bore him to tears.” 

There is generally nodding to this. 

“Are they really that strong?” Asks Yoro, or possibly Shiku, Gaara has yet to be able to tell them apart. 

“To be honest, I hope I do not face them in the tournament.” Haku says. “They were strong when we met months ago. I can only imagine that they have gotten stronger since then.” 

“At least we don’t have to worry about fighting Naruto.” Kankuro says, leaning back onto his hands. 

“Agreed.” Haku says, rubbing his face lightly. 

“He can be creative.” Gaara voices. 

“Creative?” Chujoru asks. Gaara thinks for a moment about a what part of their fight that he can talk about. Leaf has gone great lengths to hide Naruto’s status as a jinchuriki from the other nations. 

“He did significant damage to me while I was half transformed with an exploding kunai.” 

“Where the hell did he stick it?” Kankuro mutters. Gaara blinks. He had forgotten that his siblings had not been there for the majority of that fight. Gaara shifts his weight, not wanting to voice it out loud. 

“No way…” Kankuro says, catching the movement. “He didn’t.” 

“He did.” His brother bursts laughing. Yoro and Shiku join him as Temari, Haku, and Chojuro fail to stifle their own amusement. 

_“He shoved it up your ass?!”_ Kankuro laughs so hard tears form at the corners of his eyes. “I bet you were glad you can heal after that!” 

“That was one thought that came to mind.” Gaara deadpans. His comment causes more laughter. 

“Makes me glad I fought Inuzuka and Yamanaka,” Temari says when she gets ahold of herself. “They at least keep it above the belt.” 

“Naruto-kun is Konoha is most surprising ninja.” Haku adds. 

“He is.” Gaara agrees. 

“I hope we get to meet him.” Yoro or Shiku say. 

“If you hang around Hidden Leaf long enough I’m sure you will.” Temari replies. “He’s not the kind of guy you miss.” 

With that Shikako and her teammates arrive and join their group. The conversation shifts away from Team Seven as they wait for the Exam to finish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things that I noticed when re-reading DoS:
> 
> One, from an outsider's point of view Team 7 (Specifically Shikako considering Naruto is...Naruto and Sasuke/Kakashi don't have really much to do with the Sand Sibs) are _incredibly_ forgiving. Like, WTF levels of forgiving.
> 
> And two, we didn't get to see the Sand Sibs, Zabuza and Haku commiserate over their TEAM 7 EXPERIENCES.


	2. Day Two

“Oh, and one more thing,” The Jonin Commander reciting the parameters for the Second Exam flashes a deadly smile. “In order to eliminate unfair advantages, for the Second Exam we have instituted a mandatory team size of four shinobi. Please register your teams with the examination stations when you pick up your cards.” 

_“Shit.”_ Kankuro hisses. Gaara shares the sentiment. Suna only sent them to this Chunin Exam. Unlike the other villages, they have no way to divide their numbers to meet the new criteria. He suspects Grass is doing this specifically to remove him. Regardless, they are in trouble. He and his siblings scan the crowd, trying to find their allies in a sudden mess of people as teams reorganize and arguments erupt over who will be forced forfeit. 

“Hey. You guys need a hand?” Shikako calls out. She had weaved her way through the crowd to their side. 

“You’ll do.” Temari declares as though she had not been looking for the Nara in the first place. 

“Draw the short straw, sparky?” Kankuro teases. 

“I volunteered,” She explains. “Since I’ve worked with you guys the most.” 

“Good.” Gaara says. Shikako is the best possible addition to their team. They trust one another and her Shadow-Possession Jutsu will work well for this type of test. 

People are staring at them as they sign up for the Second Exam. The other ninja are no doubt taking this as another sign of the strength of their alliance. Useful, but not something Gaara needs to be focusing on right now. He uses his sand to spy on the other competitors, noting which ones have the cards that they will need for the preliminaries. 

His siblings and Shikako chat as others get their cards. Gaara marks the opponents with the cards necessary for them to win and form the highest poker hand. 

“This way.” He says when the start signal is given. The team with a red-backed ace of hearts has already sped off towards the village. Gaara moves and the rest of the team follows behind him. 

“Did you pick out specific teams?” Shikako asks. “Our intelligence suggested that the five card draw is meant to simulate a poker hand.” Kankuro makes a nonplus noise. 

“So did ours. Nice to have a second source to confirm it, I guess.” Shikako didn’t respond to Kankuro’s poking. His brother left her alone as they caught up to their quarry. 

“You two stay here.” Temari ordered when they paused on a rooftop. “Keep watch.” 

Temari and Kankuro have one of their silent conversations where she threatens to leave him to his fate if he goes off and tries to collect cards on his own and Kankuro waves her off like he hasn’t taken off to complete their mission objective by himself a hundred times before. 

Gaara audibly pops the cork from his gourd to draw Temari’s attention. Both of his siblings snap into focus and Temari jumps down along side him as his sand captures their opponents. It is a team from Hidden Waterfall. They hand over their card without a fight when they see who has captured them. Gaara releases them as soon as he and Temari were out of range of reprisal. They meet back up with Kankuro and Shikako and move on. 

The next team decides to fight. The oldest Cloud nin forms a shield of lightning that fends off Gaara’s first attack. His teammates are not so lucky. One’s whole body is pinned to the wall with sand while the other takes a blow to the chest that leaves her wheezing in pain. Temari steps up and swipes away the sand shield with her fan. The Cloud nin dives sideways while the Cloud kuniochi sends a Water Bullet at Gaara. It is weak and doesn’t even hamper moving his sand. He makes sure to gag her as he captures her and Temari takes care of the lightning user. 

“Your card.” Gaara rasps out. 

“We don’t have it!” Says the one pinned to the wall. “We already lost it to another team!” 

Gaara tightens his grip, enough to make the ninja aware how easy it would be to crush him. The boy quakes, fear dripping off of him. Shukaku, silent for the previous parts of the Chunin Exam, wakes up. 

**Make him bleed! Tear out his spine and watch the blood soar!** He screams inside Gaara’s head. 

_No._

“Your card.” 

**Crush him! Make him pay! Soak his teammates in his blood!**

“It’s-it’s in my pouch.” Gaara uses his sand to fish the card out as Shukaku howls more demands. Once in his hands, he spins around and recalls his sand. Temari trails behind at a distance. He wonders if it is obvious that Shukaku is awake. 

“Seriously,” His sister says as they return to where they left Shikako and Kankuro. A team of Rain nin apparently tried to ambush them. “You couldn’t stay out of trouble for five minutes? _Lookout duty,_ Kankuro.” 

“We looked out.” Kankuro shrugs off Temari’s rebuke. “And we saw an ambush. So we dealt with it. Wasn’t hardly any trouble at all.” 

“Go fuck yourself with a cactus!” One of the Rain nin spits. Gaara glares at him, anger spiking. Those were _his friends_ he was insulting. 

**Tear him apart! Make him pay! Paint the walls with all of them!**

_Shut up._

Gaara glanced over Shikako and Kankuro. They look fine but…he should ask. His brother has some skill in healing and he was, mostly, sure that Shikako does as well. They could have healed themselves while Temari and him had gotten the card. 

“Were you…hurt?” 

“Nah,” Kankuro says with a shrug of his shoulder and a grin. “Turns out that sparky has some use after all.” 

“Hn. Well, I did most of the work there, so I don’t know what you’re for.” Shikako shoots back. Kankuro splutters. 

“Oi. You. Show some respect.” Gaara wonders where his elder brother got the idea that Leaf ninja were capable of showing anyone respect. “You could have ended up with a spike trap to the face.” 

“I’d have just made him open it himself.” Shikako says after giving Kankuro a look that said of course she had thought of that and found a way around it. 

“That’s enough.” Gaara says. If he didn’t cut this off now it would go on for hours. They shut up and the Suna-Leaf team head after their next target. 

(x) 

Shukaku rages for the rest of the exam. Leaking power and wrath as he tests the confines of his cage. Gaara ignores him with ever increasing difficulty. The fights move from sporadic to constant and each one tests his control. It can’t slip. If he gives in for a second, Shukaku will slaughter anything his sand is touching. Their opponents, his friends, and everything he is trying to build here will vanish. 

**_TEAR OUT THEIR EYES! RIP OFF THEIR FACES! I KNOW YOU WANT TOO, YOU FUCKING BRAAAT!_**

Gaara resists. Shukaku cannot do anything if he holds firm. As much as the Bijuu tried to convince him otherwise, without Gaara’s permission the seal keeps him from doing anything besides letting Gaara know _exactly_ how angry he is. 

The youngest Sand Sibling wonders if Naruto ever had to deal with this. The foreign rage that was so easy to give into, to think was your own. If the blonde had never defeated him, he probably would never have known how much influence Shukaku was exerting over him. He had gone to Baki for help controlling Shukaku after the Invasion. During those lesson, Gaara learned that the bloodlust, and the never-ending rage were not his own. These feelings had been part of Gaara for as long as he could remember and it was unnerving to learn they weren’t a part of him. Baki helped him to identify and keep separate what was coming from him and what was coming from his demon. The swordmaster was no stranger to separating his feelings from his work and in those lessons Gaara found himself again. 

His his siblings also helped. Temari and Kankuro could be annoying and frustrating, but once they realized that Gaara was sincere in his desire to change, he found that they were also pleasant to be around. Their support for his dream had made the last six months much easier than it would have been otherwise. 

Kankuro, for all his need to poke at everything, was observant, cunning, and was always willing to explain the logic behind people’s actions. Gaara had taken to discussing missions and important meetings with his brother while the older fiddled with Karasu. The talks never lasted long, but each one was….nice. 

Temari suffered no foolishness and, now that she was no longer terrified of him, was more than willing to point out flaws in strategies. Such arguments usually happened behind closed doors where she also dispensed etiquette lessons. As the eldest child of the Fourth Kazekage, she was expected to be both ninja and diplomat. Her knowledge of the daimiyo’s court, current politics, and important players in Suna was invaluable. Gaara had once asked her why she did not seek the hat herself. It was the first time he had made her smile. 

“Me stuck doing paperwork all day? I would go insane.” She had said. “I have too much in common with the wind. The only thing that comes from us staying in one place is a tornado.” 

Gaara didn’t understand it but had nodded anyway. He found paperwork soothing and could not figure out why everyone loathed it. 

Then again, most didn’t have a demon inside them that found it so boring that it went to sleep every time Gaara wrote out a mission report. 

**_**BREAK THEM APART! TURN THEM INTO BLOODY PILES! SPLIT THEM DOWN THE MIDDLE AND WATCH THE GUTS FLY!** _ **

_No._

Shukaku responds with a comment about Gaara’s parentage that he finds severely hypocritical considering the demon had pretended to be his mother for years. 

“–best of luck to you all.” The lead Exam proctor says, dismissing the remaining Genin teams. 

Gaara leaves immediately. His will is starting to weaken and he needs to reinforce it. Temari and Kankuro take position on his right and left respectively. They didn’t ask why he so set on returning to their lodgings. Instead, they kept watch on the crowd as it parts for them. Gaara became steadier when he realized that they were not watching for things that would set him off, but threats _to_ him. 

_I have friends who_ want _to protect me._

_**THEY ARE LIAAAARRRSSSS! THEY ARE GOING TO STAB YOU IN THE FUCKING BACK!** _

_SHUT UP._

Gaara disappears into his room. He can sense his siblings hesitating before moving into the room next to his. A wise move. He needs to meditate and Temari and Kankuro can’t keep from arguing with each other outside of missions to save their lives. 

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Gaara dives into the section of his mind that houses the demon. Shukaku is thrashing against his cage. The seal holds as well as it always has but the barriers that Gaara erected the last time he was here are gone. 

_**I’M GOING TO MURDER YOU! I’M GOING TO TEAR YOUR SCRAWNY, PATHETIC ASS APART AND USE YOUR HEAD AS A TOOTHPICK!** _

The youngest Sand Sibling disregards the demon as he sets to work rebuilding the barriers. Forcing Shukaku, his words, and his emotions back into darkness of the cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After looking at Gaara HUGE personality shift between Chunin Exams and the Rescue Sasuke arc, I think that begs a better explanation besides 'I got better'


	3. Day Three

“The match ups have been posted.” Temari says at breakfast. 

“Who are we fighting?” Gaara asks. He has already finished eating and Chiyo and Baki left long ago for the Kage box. 

“Gaara is fighting a girl from Nadeshiko Hidden Village,” 

“Glad someone gets a buy this round.” Kankuro snarks. Temari rolls her eyes and continues on. 

“I’m fighting Omoi from Cloud, and you’re fighting Hinata Hyuga.” Kankuro chokes for a moment on his food. It’s a terrible match up for him. He, might, win if Hyuga holds back but that is unlikely. Gaara is not even sure how he could win. Kankuro’s style relies too much on going undetected which the Byakugan negates. Not to mention that Hinata has already fought him and won.

“I am sure you will preform well.” Gaara says. 

“Thanks for the support.” Kankuro’s words drip with sarcasm.

“We should get going.” Temari says as she brushes the crumbs off of her hands. “We don’t want to be late.” 

“Agreed.” 

They arrive just after the Hidden Leaf group. Shikako waves to them as Sasuke nods. All three teams reorganize slightly so that the Sand Siblings can be near and they still have a defensible perimeter. The Hidden Mist team also greets them warmly from the opposite side of Leaf. 

“Good luck.” Shikako wishes as he and Temari make their way down to the field. 

They don’t need it. Gaara easily manages to defeat his opponent. He gets a kiss on his sand armor cheek for it from the Nadeshiko kunoichi for some reason. Temari takes longer, but is still victorious. They return to polite congratulations from their allies. 

Gaara watches the rest of the matches with vague disinterest. His next opponent proves to be a Cloud kuniochi who specializes in kenjutsu. Not something he will have an issue with. The match ups are posted by the stadium so he knows that his opponents for the third and fourth round will be Shikako and Sasuke respectively. It is far too early to tell who he will fight in the Finals so watching the beginning matches is a little pointless. 

The first sign that things might become interesting is that Shikako’s opponent turns out to be an idiot. 

“Kuniochi like you make me sick.” Sasuke and the Nara’s team for this Exam shift. It’s the first time someone has tried to verbally degrade one of their own during the tournament and Gaara can tell they don’t like it. 

“Excuse me?” Shikako asks. 

“You heard me.” Gaara wonders what the Cloud ninja is going for. Insults are part and parcel of fights but he is curious what specifically the kuniochi found so abhorrent about Shikako. To his knowledge the two haven’t interact the entire Exam. “You come to an exam like this and spend the entire time hiding behind the men.” 

What. 

Sasuke snorts and Gaara looks away to confirm that, yes, he was not the only one failing to see how Netsui came to her conclusion. 

“We all saw you in the dining hall. And then you got carried through the second exam. Well, you’re out of luck here; it’s just you and me now. There’s no one here to protect you.” 

“What.” Gaara repeats out loud. Because Shikako and a kuniochi who hides behind others just…..doesn’t go together. At all. 

“I don’t know man,” Kankuro answers from his left. “Some people are dumbasses.”

“You can say that again.” Sasuke agrees. He is smirking now as Yamanaka tries not to laugh and Akimichi seems to have come to the decision that such idiocy didn’t warrant any reaction on his part. They miss Shikako’s response but her annoyance is clear from the stands. 

“Kuniochi who depend on others to do everything for them shouldn’t be allowed.” Netsui has decided to keep talking for some reason. “It’s so...weak.” 

Shikako straightens. It’s an almost unnoticeable movement but it is there and shifts her body from her casual, friendly, stance into something cold and deadly. 

“She’s dead.” Kankuro proclaims. 

“Shikako isn’t going to kill someone during the tournament.” Yamanaka says dryly. 

“I bet sparky wins in under two minutes.” Kankuro wagers. 

“No contest.” Sasuke dismisses. 

“Your girl is the one who is going to die.” A Cloud ninja snaps. That Hidden Village seating section is only ten feet away and the words carry easily. The whole alliance turns. Cloud may out number them ten to one but they make up half the members of tournament. Cloud only managed four and one of them have already been defeated by the alliance. Their power has been proven. The enemy ninja backs down and goes back to glaring uselessly at them. 

“The match is about to start.” Hinata says, getting everyone’s attention. Gaara looks just in time for to see the referee’s hand descending. Netsui leaps into action and straight into Shikako’s trap. 

“I’m sorry,” Shikako said with a chilly smile. “You seem to be laboring under some misapprehensions. Since you had all morning to find out about the person you were fighting I didn’t think it was necessary. But since it is, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Shikako of the Nara Clan of Konoha. You are currently in my Shadow Possession Jutsu. If have any means of escaping it, I suggest you employ them now.” 

“See? Less than two minutes.”

“It doesn’t count until Netsui surrenders.” Yamanaka says. 

“That’s irrelevant.” Kankuro argues. “She can’t escape and Shikako isn’t going to let her go.” 

“I wouldn’t say that just yet.” Yamanaka responds. Shikako is still talking. Gaara agrees that Shikako seems to be uncaring on how long this goes on for. Her biggest concern seems to be making Netsui as un-promotable as possible. Her words showcasing just how unprepared the Cloud ninja is for their match. 

“Shikako will win soon.’ Akimichi says as he pulls food from storage scrolls. Where the chips he had been eating earlier had gone, Gaara doesn’t know. “She’s made her point and its lunch time.” 

“Some how I doubt Shikako knows what time it is.” Yamanaka says dryly, but helps her teammate arrange the food. Tenten lets them borrow a portable table, tea kettle, mugs, and other items and soon there is a full blown picnic going on in the stands. The Sand Siblings and Mist team are offered tea and snacks that some take and others politely turn down. Shikako decides to end the match and Gaara watches Netsui storm off the field. Shikako follows after her at a distance. She seems still agitated by her match. He nods to her as she returns to their group. 

Lee matches takes much longer as he insists on going for the full allotted time. He is victorious and now it is Kankuro’s turn. 

“Good luck.” Temari murmurs. Kankuro waves her off and makes his way down to the arena. 

The match…does not go well. Hinata’s Byakugan proves to render the majority of his puppet abilities useless. He has no place to hide, nothing to use to his advantage. There is a moment when Kankuro might win the match, but it vanishes when Hinata proves stubborn enough to power through the effects of his knockout-gas. 

Gaara inwardly winces as Kankuro is thrown from the ring. The match is called and Temari lazily claps. The good news is that only Kankuro’s pride is bruised. His brother picks up Karasu and follows the Hyuga to the medical tent. Gaara wonders if he should follow them, but Neji and Shikako are already on their way to the tent and he is sure they would back up Kankuro if something happened. 

His brother returns with his head held high but Gaara can tell it is for show. Kankuro is upset about his poor showing despite how the odds where stacked against him. 

“You will get stronger.” Gaara tells him when he leans against the railing in fake nonchalance. Kankuro snorts and gives Gaara a half grin. 

“Of course. A master never stops perfecting their art.” Gaara nods and the conversation slides away. The Leaf ninja keep talking and Akimichi pass out daifuku to all as the last matches begin. Gaara eats some politely though it is too sweet for his taste. Sasuke and Haku win to no one’s surprise and the first round of the Third Exam is officially concluded. 

The Genin move towards their respective leaders as people exit the Kage box. Gaara hopes to talks with the Mizukage but a subtle signal from Baki says that that is not to be. Instead they seek out the privacy of their housing.

“What happened?” Gaara demands as soon as the appropriate security measures have been taken. 

“Chiyo-sama attacked Hatake when he entered the Kage box.” Baki says grimly. Chiyo snorts. 

“I didn’t even give him a hair cut.” She rudely protests. 

“Whether Hatake was injured is not the problem,” Gaara retorts. “Did you even consider how the other nations will have seen that? Our alliance is the only thing keeping Rock from launching an assault. It _must_ be seen as strong.” 

“Like a little prank could damage that. Your own stunt in the meal hall ensured that!”

“And instead of building on that you undermined everything in order to enact a petty attempt at revenge.” Chiyo’s fingers twitch. It is no secret that The White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, killed her son and daughter-in-law. Just like it is no secret that his son, Kakashi Hatake, greatly resembles him. Chiyo would have recognized him on sight. 

“And what would you know of revenge?” She mocks. 

“How did the Kages take it?” Temari tries to redirect the conversation. 

“The Hokage and Mizukage dismissed it but the Raikage and Tsuchikage were not convinced.” Baki informs them. 

“Of course.” There is nothing Gaara can do at the moment. It is Chiyo who has been given the task of diplomatically representing Suna in Grass and there is nothing he can threaten her with. He will have to work to undo this damage another way. 

“Brat,” Chiyo ignores what they are talking about and focuses on Kankuro. “You were pathetic!”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Kankuro mutters, clearly wondering what Chiyo is going to do next. She cackles. Kankuro takes a step back. 

“Oh? Then I bet Karasu’s in good enough shape for training. We’ll fight at dawn!” Chiyo then collapses on the ground, feigning sleep again. 

“What?! It’s in pieces!” Kankuro protests. Chiyo doesn’t move. “You can’t be serious!” 

Still nothing. 

Kankuro curses and frantically starts trying to repair his puppet. Gaara, Temari, and Baki leave him to it. None of them want to be around Chiyo any longer and they need to continue discussing her stunt. In the end, they agree that there is nothing they can do about it. They can only continue trying to improve their alliance through the Genin and hope that Chiyo has had her fill of pranks. 

Gaara retreats to the roof. Temari and Baki need to sleep and his presence isn’t conducive to that. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to get rid of his frustration. As much as Chiyo has been a great benefit to their weakened military, her antics are almost more trouble than it is worth. 

On the positive side, it does remind him that he has yet to give Shikako Sasori’s file. He hadn’t forgot precisely, it is hard to forget that you have an unredacted document about on one of the strongest Suna ninjas on you, but other things have taken precedence. He will have to give it to her tomorrow.


	4. Day Four

The matches this time are one at a time. Gaara finds himself going first once more. This time it is against a Cloud ninja. Karui flings lightning jutsu at him in an attempt to close the distance between them. 

“Sand Lightning Needles!” Gaara calls out as his sand takes on a metallic property. The lightning becomes trapped between the spires he has summoned. Karui curses from the other side of the field. She leaps high in order to get around the spires, but he is ready for her. 

The sand from his gourd shoots upwards faster than she can change her direction. Karui is separated from her sword and hauled back down to the ground. She struggles all the way and doesn’t stop when Gaara has her pinned on the grass. 

“Match Winner: Gaara of the Desert!” The referee calls out. The crowd applauded as Gaara released Karui. She stands up and walks off the field without a second glance at him. Gaara teleports back to the stands. 

“Good match.” Shikako says as he returns. 

“Thank you.” Temari opens her fan and uses it to descend onto the field distracting everyone. Enthusiasm erupts from the crowd at the move. Neji, her opponent, takes his time. Each give the other a short bow before the match starts. 

“Sickle Weasel Techinque: Great Gale!” Temari’s fan snaps open and sends a series of wind blades in Neji’s direction. The Leaf Genin dodges and ducks. 

“Come on sis,” Kankuro murmurs. Her jutsu keep Neji back for a bit but then he reveals that he too has long range attacks. With the upper hand lost, Temari tries to end the match as quickly as possible. 

“Wind Release: Great Task of the Dragon.” The sun is blocked out as wind rips through the arena. It spins into a tornado and comes down directly on Neji. He spins his ultimate defense in response. When the technique is finished Neji is nowhere to be seen. For a moment, everything is still and then he comes down from the sky and clashes with Gaara’s sister. They trade blows for a few moments before Neji seals her tekentsu.

“Winner: Neji Hyuga!” Kankuro sighs when the fight is called. 

“She did well.” Gaara says as both fighters walk back together. 

“It would have been better if she gotten to the semi-finals.” 

“True.” But Temari and Kankuro weren’t expected to dominate the Exam. That rests on him and, while things could have gone better, they still showed the power of Suna had not waned as much as people whisper. 

“Go Shikako!” Yamanaka cheers from the stands as the next match began. Shikako is facing the remaining Grass ninja. The older boy returns her bow and the fight begins. Shikako opens with her clan’s signature jutsu. Oddly enough, her opponent makes no attempt to dodge it. Instead, he races through hand seals. Shikako finished hers first and it seemed like another quick victory for her but her opponent has also finished his jutsu. 

“Sealing Style: Fire Release: One Person Prison!” Seals raced down Shikako’s shadow and printed themselves on her skin. They glow red briefly before fading to black. Shikako stays on her feet for a moment before falling to the ground. 

“What did he do?” Sasuke asks, no longer idly leaning against the rail. Gaara glances over to see that his Sharigan is spinning and the Hyugas have activated their dojutsu. 

“He has sealed her chakra.” Neji says with a grimace. 

“Damn.” Kankuro murmurs. “Sparky doesn’t have any luck does she?” 

“I guess even the Hidden Leaf is no match for the Kantokusha Clan.” A Cloud ninja sneers. Now things make sense. The Grass ninja is part of the clan responsible for Hozuki Castle. 

“No wonder he is favored to win.” Temari says. Gaara nods as he returns his eyes to the match. Kantokusha is explaining what they have just found out. If he wins he will be a difficult opponent. 

Gaara proves correct not to dismiss Shikako so soon as she burst off the ground. She knocks Kantokusha to the side with a series of taijutsu moves and then pulls out kunai. Kantokusha regains his balance quickly and proves that he doesn’t rely solely on his family’s jutsu. 

“Aaaa!” Shikako lets out a short scream when her arm is snapped in two. The sand in Gaara’s gourd swirls, itching to be released. He wants to help her but it’s not his fight. 

“Might want to take a deep breath, man.” Kankuro says, half his attention on the match and the other half on everyone else. Gaara stills his sand. He shouldn’t allow his emotions to show right now. 

Shikako is tossed to the ground with a gentleness that says that Kantokusa doesn’t want to kill her. Rock and Cloud cheer as she clutches her wounds. The alliance is silent. None of them want to take their eyes away from the fight below. 

“Are you prepared to surrender?” Shikako’s opponent asks. 

“No.” She launches from the ground, faster than before. A quick series of feints allows her to plant explosive tags on Kantokusha. 

“What an idiot.” A Rock ninja snorts. There is general agreement from their enemies on this and Kantokusha is visibly exasperated when he tosses them to the side. He should have thrown them farther as they explode in his face. 

“That’s impossible!” Shouts a Cloud ninja. 

“Go Shikako!” Yamanaka cries out. 

“Dear kami, _she broke it._ ” Someone else says. Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara sees the Hyugas’ shake their heads at that statement. He too doesn’t believe she has broken the justu. Gaara has seen Shikako fight only a few times but each one showed speed and power far beyond what she is doing now. 

With utter disregard for the commotion she is causing in the stands, Shikako grapples with Kantokusha. The two roll around, neither having the upper-hand until Shikako takes her braid and uses it as a noose. The Grass ninja struggles for a moment, goes still, and then struggles in full to escape her trap. He might have broken free except Shikako is stubborn. Gaara knows that Kantokusha is unconscious when Shikako rolls off of him. The seals on her skin have already faded and she starts using medical jutsu on her arm. 

“I can’t believe it.” 

“It’s unbreakable! No Genin could have possibly broken it!” 

“I’ve seen better fights between my sons.” 

“To think the Nara Clan held the secret to defeating Kantokusha all this time…”

“She’s a plant.” 

Gaara doesn’t like the way the crowd is talking. The civilians boo at the match. Unimpressed at what appears to be a standard brawl to the untrained eye. The ninja, however, are marking her as a target. He is relieved when Tsunade herself, leaves the Kage Box to attend to Shikako. 

He is not the only discomforted. Leaf surrounds Shikako as soon as she returns to the stands. The pull her into the middle of their group and close ranks while congratulating her on her victory. The Mist team drift into a new formation, one more suited to defend against a sudden attack from the other shinobi in the stands. Gaara moves back from the rail so he is sitting higher up and in-between Leaf and the Grass section. Kankuro verbally prods Inuzuka and uses it as an excuse to wander to the edge of the Leaf section. Temari stays where she is but has changed position so she will be as ready as she can be for an attack. 

Gaara stares at the Grass ninja. They are panicking. He can smell their fear and confusion. Many have disappeared. No doubt to inform others what has happened. Those that remain have their eyes trained on Shikako as though they believe if they stare hard enough they will uncover how she got around the Kantokusha’s jutsu. 

**Kill them. Kill them and you will never have to worry about what they will do.**

Shukaku’s words sounds reasonable and for a moment Gaara considers it before discarding the idea. Whatever might be gained would never come close to the damage that would be done if Suna violated the sanctity of the Chunin Exams again. 

Instead, Gaara makes sure to catch the eye of every single one of them. Letting them know that he is watching them and he could kill them all if he wanted to. They become subtler after that. All but a handful disappear from the stadium. 

Lee returns from his match with his ever present exuberance, Yamanaka trailing behind him seemingly not bother by her loss. Inuzuka and Amikichi fight next. Their ninjutsu causes them to top the stadium and if Gaara wasn’t familiar with Shukaku’s full size they would be the biggest things he has ever seen. 

What strikes him is not fighting itself, both competitors are clearly limited by staying in the arena, but the seal they make to each other before the match and the odd handshake they preform once Inuzuka is declared the winner. He saw Lee and Yamanaka preform the same handshake in the last match. Perhaps it is a Leaf tradition? 

It seems to be reserved for Leaf ninja as it does not reappear in any of the other matches. Even the matches between Leaf and Mist are devoid of it. Perhaps he will ask Shikako about it when he hands over the file. Today’s rounds are concluded with plenty of applause. It appears that the clients have been pleased with what they have seen so far. 

“Gaara-san,” Haku calls out once everyone starts to file out of the stadium. “Mei-sama was wondering if you and your siblings would mind dining with us tonight.” 

Gaara’s eyes flick over to Shikako who is in the now empty arena doing...something. Judging from Yamanaka taking measurements of the field at what appears to be her request, she will be busy for awhile. 

“We would be glad too.” He says. Haku smiles at that and guides them to one of the many restaurants created for the Exams. Chojuro is at his side but the twins went over to Zabuza Momochi who led them away. Most likely taking them back to their lodgings. 

The restaurant is nice. Expensive and exclusive in the way that rich clients prefer. Baki is already there, waiting for them with the Mizukage. Chiyo is, thankfully, nowhere in sight. 

“Ah, Gaara-san. It is good to finally meet you.” The Mizukage is all smiles when they enter. He bows to her while she nods to his siblings. “And your brother and sister as well! Your performances in the Exam has certainly been impressive.” 

“Thank you. Your team has been impressive as well.” What Gaara has seen of Chojuro and the twins hints to a new generation of strong ninja in Hidden Mist and Haku is clearly no Genin. Mei Temuri waves at them to sit. 

“They have done well. It was a blessing to be able to attend this Chunin Exam.” The Mizukage says as Haku takes a seat on her left and a Mist ninja with an eye patch takes a seat on her right. Kankuro and Temari mirror them as Baki stands directly behind Gaara. 

Their positions say just as much about who Terumi values as it does for Gaara. Both sides know that it is all intentional. It has to be intentional because this could be the beginning of something great. It is too important for careless gestures. 

A server knocks on the door. He takes their orders and shuts the door as he leaves. Gaara doubts they have true privacy here but the illusion is helpful. 

“What did you want to discuss?” Gaara asks. A laugh sticks in Terumi’s throat. 

“You _are_ a direct one.” She says, eyes filled with mirth. “Well, I guess I can only respond in kind. I’m looking to form an alliance with the next Kazekage.” 

“And what would such an alliance entail?” 

“An opening of ports for one. Sand merchants will be allowed to trade in Kiri once more and open businesses there.” 

“And Mist in Suna.” 

“Of course. I’m sure you will not mind having a new market.” She’s right. Despite the damiyo’s favor Suna is still strapped for funds. Her proposal means more missions from the merchants who will need protection on the journey to Mist. It also means a new market for the gem quarry that Shi Kara Ikioi-en created along with the oasis. Suna has complete control over it for the moment and being able to sell to another major village will increase their revenue. 

“Can you ensure their safety?” Temari asks. “You’ve barely been in charge of Mist for month.” 

“Most certainly.” Terumi says firmly. “I will meet them in the harbor myself.” 

“Things must be pretty bad if you’re desperate to trade with us.” Kankuro pokes. His voice half uncaring, half sly. 

“No more than you are.” Temuri had them there. Kankuro shrugs, not conceding the point but also not agreeing with her. It wasn’t wise to admit just what a precarious position Suna was in at the moment. 

“Mist has bounties on all of our prominent ninja.” Temari pointed out. “Are you willing to rescind them? The trade deal is a moot point otherwise.” 

“If you rescind your bounties on some of our ninja.”

“Who?” Gaara asks. 

“Myself, Ao,” She nods to the man on her right. “Zabuza Momochi, and all those that return to Kiri now that the civil war is over.” 

“That would require us having a list of those shinobi.” Temari pointed out. 

“That is something I am willing to concede to.” 

Gaara looks at Ao and then Haku. They have said nothing yet but neither of them appear surprised by what their Mizukage is offering. Still, there is something Gaara needs confirmation on before making his decision. 

“Have you talked with Tsunade-sama about forming an alliance with Leaf?” 

“Not yet.” Terumi admits. “But I have high hopes that we will be able to discuss it when the Exams are over.” 

“Our alliance would be conditional on you being on good terms with Leaf.” Gaara states bluntly. He is not willing to have a relationship with Mist if it means jeopardizing the one with Leaf. It doesn’t matter if Terumi offers him the sun and the moon. 

“I understand.” The Mizukage doesn’t seem to be bothered by his ultimatum. She most likely suspected it would be a condition before inviting him to dinner. “To be honest, I wish for an alliance between all three of us.” 

“I do as well.” Gaara agrees. A knock signals that food has arrived. Once served, they discuss other parts of their, possible, alliance. It is nothing that would require serious debate. Both he and the Mizukage aren’t interested in developing a strong union quickly. Today is only groundwork.

Still, Gaara leaves the meeting pleased. He has confirmed that Mist is honest in their offers and that it will not threaten his alliance with Leaf. This will be a good thing for Suna and greatly help them move out of the difficult position they are in. 

“Go ahead,” He tells his siblings and Baki. “There is something that I have to do.” 

Kankuro and Temari hesitate but follow Baki back to their lodgings. None of them are aware of the file that he has on his person’s and he wishes to keep it that way. What he is about to do is treason. He wants to make sure no blame can fall on them if others find out about this. Now is a good time to give Shikako the information on Sasori. No one will be surprised that he speaks with Leaf after his talk with Terumi. It would be expected. Leaf and Suna need to be on the same page in regards to their allies.

He winds his way through the crowds towards the Leaf lodgings. There are many still out enjoying the festivities despite the late hour. Most of clients spending money in the various gambling dens Grass has arranged for this Exam. Surprisingly enough, Shikako is also still awake. He can see her sitting on the porch, writing on a vast scroll. 

It’s at this moment that his plan hits a snag. There is a watch set up and none of those on it were Jonin he recognized. They all knew of him though if their ready but not attacking postures were any indication. 

What does he do? Just walk right up to her? Go to one of them first? What won’t be taken as a threat? 

He decides to circle the buildings, hoping they see that he is not going to attack them. Luckily, Shikako spots him and waves him over on his third circuit. 

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” He asks. He’s not familiar with how much sleep one needs but it is probably more than a few hours. Shikako looks like she is about to say one thing before changing her mind and saying something else. 

“Nah. Uh. Aren’t you keeping watch for your team?” 

“They sleep better when I’m not there.” Given that he has tried to kill both of them in their sleep, this wasn’t surprising. Shikako winces though he isn’t sure why. 

“Right. Uh, I’m preparing for tomorrow’s fight.” She says. Gaara doesn’t know where she is going with this. “I mean. I have some stuff, already. But. Since I have time I thought I would make some specific seals….” Gaara is still lost. “Uh. Do you want to know what they are?” 

He crouches down in front of her. The table separates them but he is hoping this will make more sense if he is at eye level with her. 

“We are fighting tomorrow.” He says to make sure he didn’t read the match ups wrong. 

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.” Shikako smiles a little. 

“Why would you tell me what your weapons are?” Shikako relaxes at that statement. Leaning back on her hands as she replies. 

“The thing is, I’m not going to win. I know I’m not going to win. But that’s fine. I don’t actually _need_ to win, you know? I don’t really want to either, if I’m honest. You have so much more riding on this Exam than I do. I don’t want to have to do _another_ one but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. You want to be Kazekage so you _do_ have to win. That’s why you’re here right? But we can both get what we want out of it, if we fight well. If I put up a good fight, show what I can do, then I can be promoted even if I lose. And if I fight well, then you can fight well and show them what _you_ can do, and you get to go on to be Kazekage. Win/win situation for everyone, right?” 

That was the most that he had ever heard her speak at once. It was also quite likely the most confusing thing that he had ever heard. One the one hand, he could see her point. It would assure his victory if he knew everything in her arsenal. But on the other hand, it would be wrong. He’s not sure exactly why though. 

_If they are as half as confusing as this, it is no wonder Temari always complains about Shikamaru’s ideas._

“No,” He says when he finally figures out what he doesn’t like about it. Shikako goes to argue but he cuts her off. “Don’t tell me what your plans are. I must be able to fight those that come for me when I am Kazekage. If I cannot do it here, then I am not enough.” 

Because they _will_ come for him. Assassins from nations outside of Suna and those from within who wish he had died at birth. Akatsuki is going to come for him and if their members are as dangerous as Sasori’s file suggests, he must become much stronger than he is now. He must be able to beat Shikako and Sasuke without help if he has any hope of beating them later. 

He’s not sure if Shikako agrees though she nods. He wants to sigh. This is not going the way he planned. 

“Okay. That’s fair.” She concedes. There is a pause before she coughs awkwardly. “I’m, uh, going to continue though. I have a lot to do?” 

Gaara nods. Shikako looks as though she too is unsure what to do now. Tired as well. Perhaps he should do something for her. They were friends and while he might not need sleep, she was not so lucky. He vaguely recalls Yashamura making tea for him when he was young and still needed help staying awake. Yes, he knows what to do now. 

“Wait here.” He tells her. She gives no reply as he leaves. 

Along with the gambling dens, there are various stores open selling hot drinks and snacks. It is easy to find one the specializes in tea. The owner eagerly shows him the various types, proclaiming that his teas are the best in all of Grass. Gaara nods along and picks the one that reminds him most of the tea that Yashamura served. The owner confirms that it is the strongest that he has. 

With tea in one hand and the file in the other, Gaara returns to Shikako. She is busy stuffing small, pink, pouches with paper. He stops for a moment. The desire to ask what she is doing is strong but he already promised he would not. He dismisses it and places the tea on the table. 

“Oh, thank you?” Shikako is taken aback at the tea. He nods and hands her the file. She seems even more confused by it. He watches her face closely as she opens it and reads the beginning. Shock replaces confusion. She looks up at him. 

“Oh.” She said softly. Her face relaxes as she looks at him with gratitude, relief, and, he’s not sure, possibly awe. 

“You warned me.” He says carefully. Because he wants her to know exactly why he is doing this. It is not a bribe or an apology in advance. That he is doing this because they are friends and friends help each other. Because they all need to be prepared for Akatsuki. “So, I wanted to help you back. This….this has nothing to do with our fight tomorrow. Whether I win or lose, I want you to have this. To help Naruto.” 

“I will.” Her voice is rough when she answers him. “It will. I’ll look after it.” 

She yanks her sleeve back and places a storage seal on it and the file quickly into the seal. She then turns back to him, that look still on her face. 

_”Thank you.”_ The words are heartfelt. Shikako clearly believes that the file will greatly assist them. It eases something in Gaara to know that he has been able to do something to protect his friends against the future. He has no doubt that Shikako will be right there besides Naruto in the battle against Akatsuki. Hopefully, this will give them the edge they need. 

He nods and leaves now that his mission is completed. He passes by a Jonin whom he is fairly sure is Shikako’s sensei for this Chunin Exam.

“Mist has approached Suna with the offer of an alliance.” He tells the Jonin, knowing that it will passed along. 

“Huh,” The Jonin doesn’t sound surprised. He takes a breath from his cigarette. “Did you take it?” 

“If Tsunade-sama has no issue with it.” 

“Well then, I’ll let her know.” Gaara nods at that and returns to his lodgings. Baki is asleep, Chiyo is bothering Kankuro with training, but Temari is awake and waiting for him. 

“Where did you go?” She asks. 

“To inform Leaf about Mist’s offer.” He says. She looks at him and purses her lips. Temari knows he isn’t saying everything but doesn’t press. That’s good because he doesn’t want to order her not to dig. 

With several hours before his next match, Gaara dives into his mind. He wants to make extra sure that Shukaku will not be able to interfere in the upcoming fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was so hard not to Shikara the hell out of this. So hard. 
> 
> And, holy shit, I actually completed something before 1am!


	5. Day Five - Morning

Skipping breakfast was not the wisest of plans but Gaara deemed it a necessary sacrifice after sealing Shukaku off from his mind proved more difficult than he excepted. The tournament had made the Bijuu restless. It shook the bars of its cage with demands that more blood be shed. Gaara had to use every technique he knew to seal off the roars. 

The result was that Sand was the last team to arrive at the stadium. Gaara goes straight to the field and stands opposite Shikako. She is covered in so many scrolls that they dwarf her making her appear smaller than usual. 

“Let’s have a good match.” She says sincerely. He nods. The signal is given and Gaara gives Shikako the first move. He wants to see what she will do and this proves his first mistake. She swings the giant scroll that was attached to her back onto the ground and commands.

“Sealing Style: Earth Style: City of Pillars!” Ink blooms across the ground. Gaara feels a moment of panic as he teleports to the far edge of the field. He knew she had some knowledge of seals but he didn’t expect something of this caliber. For a moment he thought that she might be trying to seal him or at least his chakra. 

It turned out it was neither. 

Giant columns of rock exploded from the ground. Gaara shield himself as much as he dared to and still be able to keep an eye on Shikako. She used the opening to throw kunai linked with the pouches he saw her making the night before. He caught some and returned them to her. The rest hit his shield with no discernable impact. The pouches broke apart into bits. A distraction then. It seems like he wasn’t the only one who needed time to form a plan. 

He planned out a new strategy as his sand chased Shikako through the forest. He brought down a pillar that she was standing on in the hopes of pulling her down to the ground. It partially worked as his sand missed her but he was now looking at her without looking up. His hand stretched out, maneuvering the sand that was behind her.

“The paper?” She says loud enough to be heard. “Exploding notes. Think fast.” 

There wasn’t _time_ to think. Gaara flung his sand out of the arena with a move of his hand. He was just fast enough as Shikako set off the notes and lit up the sand. He let go of it mentally and switched to using the sand that made up his gourd. 

It dissolved and swirled around him just in time to intercept Shikako’s shadow. Her technique pierced some of it but didn’t come into contact with him. He attempted to use the shadow as a line back to her but she cut the technique. 

He needs to distract her. The amount of sand he had now wouldn’t be enough to capture her. He needs to get to the other side of the stadium and retrieve what has been lost. 

Shikako lunges at him, moving as fast as Sasuke had in their fight. Gaara moved faster. Fending her off as he formed his sand armor. 

Once it was on, he did a replacement leaving only his skin behind. It took quite a bit of effort to move as though he was still in there but it was worth it. Shikako decided a few moments later to drop a stone pillar on the shell. 

On the other side of the stadium, he pulls his sand back into arena. There is a pause in the fight. Gaara doesn’t believe for one moment that Shikako hasn’t followed him. He’s wonders why Shikako thinks she can’t win this match. She has been controlling it so far. Her jutsu have been much higher caliber than he had expected if she keeps this up–

_Ah, that must be it. She_ can’t _keep this up._

Gaara can outlast anyone in this tournament. If the matches had not time limit he would come out the victor without a problem. If Shikako expects that she can’t last to the hour mark at the rate she was using her jutsu then the defensive position suits Gaara just fine. 

A giant arc of lightning announces his friend’s presence. It pushes up against the edge of the arena. That is definitely something to keep in mind. Loosing on a technicality is not how Gaara wants this match to end. Another arc heads towards him but it is fairly easy to get rid of. 

“Sand Lightning Needles!” The attack is trapped between the sand. Shikako chomped down on something and did her own technique. 

“Earth Style: Earth Spike!” The ground rose up and covered the pillars, negating the lightning and his justu. It’s not a problem. It gives him the benefit of being able to see her clearly. Shikako has a scroll wrapped around her arm and is pointing the Sword of the Thunder God directly at him. 

Gaara feels a pit form in his stomach as the scroll starts to light up. She moves so that she’s braced as much as she can be without have something behind her. 

_“Lightning Style!”_ She shouts. _“Super Beam Canon!”_

Gaara grabs all of his sand and shoves it together into his Ultimate Shield. He’s pretty sure that Shikako isn’t trying to kill him but there’s nothing behind him besides grass. She might assume that he can survive whatever the Legendary weapon of the Second Hokage can do. 

“Shield of Shukaku!” Gaara braces for impact as the shield blocks Shikako from view. It never comes. 

“Seal!” She commands. Gaara can feel the sand disappearing into a scroll. He tries to fight it but the seal is too powerful. All of his sand is gone in an instant. Kankuro’s favorite word rings out in his head. 

_SHIT_

He has grown more powerful since the previous Chunin Exams. Less reliant on Shukaku’s power. But the fact of the matter is that he’s still needs it. His attempts at learning other techniques haven’t gone well. Taijutsu is out of the question because he can’t control his automatic defense well enough to stop it from interfering every time he practices. Genjutsu requires an imagination and Yin Release control that he just doesn’t have. Attempting to learn Water or Fire jutsu had been a waste of time, he found no one that could teach him lightning, and actual earth was so rare in Suna that every earth technique revolves around sand. Gaara had come to the conclusion that his arsenal was always going to be narrow. 

Now the vast majority of that arsenal is gone and he’s starting down Shikako Nara. 

He gets a second break as she chucks the scroll far away from them. He shoves his charka into the ground, running through hand seals as he does so. He desperately hopes the one jutsu he has managed to master in the last several months will give him enough time to create sand from the stone around them. 

“Wind Release: Air Bullet!” Shikako dodges. The bullet punches a hole through a pillar. Gaara might not have the precision down yet but he can make for that with sheer power. The next one misses her only because she did used a Replacement. 

The ground is responding to his chakra. The area immediately around him has already broken down and is almost usable. Shikako chucks a scroll into the air. 

Gaara knows its contents and tries to get to it before it releases it but he’s too slow. He attempts to dodge it but that too fails. 

Water thunders down on both of them. Soaking the ground and making it even harder to manipulate. He switches to channeling all of his chakra into the ground. He’s pulling on Shukaku’s power now and it’s weakening the barrier between them. He can feel it rattle as the Bijuu sense the weakness. 

Shikako leapt out from behind a pillar with a staff of water in her hands. The amount of sand he is able to manipulate wouldn’t have been enough to fend her off earlier in their match but she is slowing. 

Flipping backwards, she launches a water bullet at him without hand seals. It splashes off of his shield; water is clearly not her preferred element. What sand he has managed to obtain rises up and tries to snag her. She body flickers away multiple times before she is out of his reach. 

He can see how exhausted she is. The match is getting to him as well but it is clear that Shikako is at the end of her rope. Learning his lesson from the beginning of the fight, he sends his sand out to grab her before she can pull out something else. 

Shikako is faster than him once more. 

“Explode!” 

The whole arena detonates. Gaara pulls his sand back but is only partially successful in protecting himself from the blasts. 

Rocks tears through his leg, Shukaku howls break through, and Shikako has disappeared in the chaos. 

**Kill her! Kill her! _KILLL HEERRR!_ Fucking do it!**

_Shut up!_

Gaara removes the stones, slaps his sand armor over the wound, and hopes that Shukaku’s automatic healing will take care of the rest. He pushed one last burst of chakra into the ground. Large chunks of the ground crumble into sand. It isn’t as much as he wanted but it will have to do. 

“Quicksand Waterfall Flow!” The technique covers the ground of the arena and turns what he hasn’t been able to into sand. Shikako is already above him. The waves move upward, swallowing a pillar that she uses to propel herself higher, and getting close to her. 

“Sealing Style: Air Barrier!” She pulls out another seal and the air around her becomes solid. His sand hits it and for a moment there is a stalemate before the barrier breaks and pushes his sand back to the ground. The second the wind is gone Gaara watches Shikako hover in the air. 

Then she is falling. She’s not trying to break it. Alarmed, Gaara reaches up with his sand to catch her. Shikako drops into it without resistance. He encloses her out of habit. 

**Kill her! Prove your strength! Make her scream!**

Gaara blocks out Shukaku’s roars but he doesn’t let her go. He does still have to win this match. Time ticks by. Shikako makes no attempt to leave the sand cocoon. Eventually the referee stops hanging at the edge of the battlefield and comes near. He looks at Gaara and to where Shikako is imprisoned. 

“Winner of the Match: Gaara of the Desert!” He announces. The stadium goes insane. The cheers from the audience echoed out in the arena. Relief floods Gaara as he lets Shikako go. Exhaustion as well. Shukaku, furious at being denied blood, starts fighting tooth and nail to keep his chakra inside his cage. Gaara is too tired to fight back and lets it go. The backlash from the sudden lack of the Bijuu’s chakra is unpleasant but he will survive it. 

Shikako blinks, looking around, and then bows. 

“Thank you for the match.” She says, ever polite. Gaara can’t gather the energy to respond as the adrenaline from the fight also fades away. She looks to the stands. He follows her gaze and realizes that they are far away from their teams. 

_No._

He thinks as the idea of walking back floats across his mind. He reaches out a hand towards her as he summons the sand beneath him to form a sloppy platform. 

__“Shikako.” He says when she continues to stare at the stadium. Her eyes snap towards him and his hand. She takes it, relief clear. With more effort than he wants to admit, he lifts her up until she is standing on the sand with him. There’s a moment of unbalance but they make it work. His arm wrapped around hers to offset their swaying. Shikako doesn’t seem to notice as she tries to keep her eyes open._ _

__Their teams greet them with exuberance. Shikako is swept out of his grip by her teammates; congratulations and help provided with equal joy. Temari and Kankuro are more reserved but clearly beaming. They place Gaara themselves between him and the Cloud ninja._ _

__“That was a great match.” Temari says with barely concealed admiration. “Nice job with the Wind Bullets.”_ _

__“Thank you for teaching me them.” He murmurs._ _

__“Wants some water?” Kankuro asks._ _

__“That would be appreciated.” His brother hands him a canteen. Gaara takes it and sips. It’s flavored with bitter herbs that help wash away his exhaustion. Gaara slowly drinks all of it. A warmth spreads through him as he realizes his brother is not only helping him recover but also hide the extent of his state to the other ninja. Gaara carefully puts the cap back on the canteen and returns it to Kankuro. “Thank you.”_ _

__“No problem.” Kankuro shrugs off the appreciation. With a clearer head, Gaara glances back at Shikako. The Leaf ninja have surrounded her and then buried her under blankets. He can’t see much from here but it appears that he vastly overestimated how well she was._ _

__“Damn Sparky,” Kankuro says, wandering over to her. “And here I thought you were only good at getting stabbed.”_ _

__“My talents are many and varied.” Shikako mumbles just loud enough to be heard._ _

__“They sure as hell are.” Kankuro stands next to Choji just outside the ring of protection. “You know, there’s a saying in Suna about giving a seal master time to prepare. It goes a little like: _Don’t_ ” _ _

__“Words of wisdom.” Shikako agreed and so did Gaara. Kankuro came back at that and leaned against the rail between Gaara and Temari. He looked like he was watching the Grass ninja debate about what to do with the stadium._ _

__“She’s fine.” Kankuro says quietly. “She just needs to rest.”_ _

__“Good.” Temari mutters back as Gaara nods in relief._ _

__Neji and Lee are called down for the next match. Gaara tries to be interested in it. Their talents are incredibly similar yet vastly different. If it was any other day, Gaara would be taking notes in order to improve himself. But he has just fought Shikako Nara and analyzing the battle requires more effort than he wants to extend. He can feel the foreign ninja watching him; trying to see how the fight affected him. He can’t show how tired he is. He is the greatest fighter in Suna but the Kazekage needs to be one of the greatest fighters of all the nations. Rock has been circling their border since Leaf proved to be stronger than anticipated and Cloud has been beating the drum of war. If Gaara can prove to be stronger than all of the exceptional fighters in this tournament, it might cause them to rethink their strategies. At least long enough for Suna to rebuild their forces and solidify the alliance between Mist and Leaf._ _

__He hopes his poker face is as good as his siblings tell him it is. He’s a little envious of Shikako. She gets to sit down and sleep as the matches go on. He can’t sleep but it would be wonderful to slip into a resting-mediation and tune out the rest of the world. He quickly feels guilty about the feeling as Shikako starts to peal away her blankets and most of her clothes in order to cool down. It appears as though she suddenly gained a fever but he hadn’t used poisons during their fight._ _

__“It’s a side effect of soldier pills.” Kankuro says. “She really went all out with you.”_ _

__Gaara frowns and wishes he could do something. Haku seems to have the same feeling as he uses his Ice Release to help Shikako cool down._ _

__“Sasuke is fighting next.” Temari mentions. Gaara glances back to the arena. Apparently Hyuga was the winner as he was helping Lee off of the field. Sasuke fight is even less interesting than Lee’s. He sees nothing that he has not already faced when his fights with the Uchiha._ _

__Kankuro and Temari seem to sense that his muteness is not his usual reserved personality. They start a conversation that lets him appear to be paying attention without having to dedicate serious thought to it._ _

__Sasuke wins as expected and the next match is Haku versus Hinata. The first thing Haku does is summon a maze of ice mirrors from the water that Shikako left on the battlefield._ _

_That will be a problem._

He blatantly acknowledges. He’ll think about how to overcome it later. Haku takes down Hinata and Gaara would wager that the Ice Release user will be his opponent in the Finals. 

__The crowd roars as the last match concludes. Gaara breathes an inner sigh of relief as Chiyo and Baki descend from the Kage box. the five of them wandered back to their lodgings. It is a slow, deliberate pace that says they are in no rush. It lasts until they inside their buildings._ _

__Gaara heads straight for his room and lays down on the bed. It was comfortable._ _

__“Are you alright, man?” Kankuro asks hesitantly._ _

__“I’m fine.” Gaara spoke into his pillow and he was. Shukaku’s had already healed any serious damage and his chakra levels were nothing to be concerned about. He just didn’t want to move. Or be upright. Or do anything that required any amount of effort._ _

__“You’re sure?” Gaara turned his head._ _

__“Yes. I only need to rest.”_ _

__“Uh, okay.” Kankuro doesn’t look very convinced. “Temari and I were thinking about checking out the festival now but we can wait until you’re ready.”_ _

__“No, go and enjoy yourselves.” Because Gaara wasn’t going to move for the rest of the day. Planning for tomorrow’s match could wait. His siblings look at each other. Kankuro shrugs._ _

__“If you insist.” Temari says and they leave him in peace. Gaara turns back into the pillow. He starts to breathe in and out to the count of three, carefully clearing his mind. From there it’s a matter of synching the flow of his chakra with it to get rid of the exhaustion. It would take several hours but he has time._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Five - Evening should be out later this week. 
> 
> As always, editing will be done later.


	6. Day Five – Evening

After two hours of resting-mediation, Gaara feels well enough to get up. He wanders into the bathroom and strips off his clothes. He lifts his leg up onto the counter and inspects where the stones tore through his skin. It appears fine. The wounds have closed and he can’t sense any shards trapped inside him. He flexes the muscle and feels no pain. Shukaku’s automatic healing must have taken care of it. 

Pushing back the curtain for the shower, he turns it on and adjusts the water to his liking. The water clears his head as he washing the grime and sweat away. 

Shikako revealed several flaws in his abilities. The exploding notes could have been deadly if it had been a real fight. He’ll have to find a solution for that especially is its effectiveness was shown to so many ninja. 

Perhaps he could manipulate his sand in bits instead of the piles he does now but that would mean he would have to change his whole style. A complete overhaul was not feasible. Not to mention that he would still need to capture his opponents at points and end up with the same problem. Perhaps if he combined his normal sand with sensory sand. Yes, that could work. It would take practice but he would be able to tell exactly what was in his sand instead of guessing. 

He turns off the water and reaches for a towel. Gaara wishes someone in Suna knew Water Release as it was still a significant problem though he had gotten better at manipulating soaked sand. He’ll have to think of a temporary solution considering that Haku will most likely be his opponent in the Finals. 

Shikako also reminded him that he is still too dependent on his sand abilities. But, Wind Release: Air Bullet had worked better than he was expecting considering the circumstances. It had kept her away and wasn’t too difficult to use. While he can’t practice here, it would be easy to expand his Wind Release once he was back in Suna. Another thing that he needs to do once he is back in his own country. 

He has to defeat Sasuke first. Drying his hair, Gaara considers what he knows of the Uchiha’s arsenal. The Sharingan and Chidori are obvious ones but he wouldn’t be surprised if Sasuke has added just as much as Shikako has. As Shikako’s teammate, Gaara must assume that he is well versed in sealing as well. It would make sense considering that it is not only Shikako’s specialty but something to know since Naruto is a jinchuriki. The match with Inuzuka hinted at a Fire Release as well. There was also the use of ninja wire to hem Inuzuka in. Getting pinned by Sasuke would not be good. 

Now dry, Gaara puts on his clothes and for a moment feels discomforted. There’s something off about the way they feel. Pinching some sand from his gourd, Gaara lightly covers himself with it. 

_That’s better._

He swings his gourd onto his back and leaves the bathroom. Food calls to him. There should be some in the kitchen left over from their first night here. Baki greets him as enters, the swordsman in the process of reheating dinner. To Gaara’s surprise, Temari is also here.

“Where is Kankuro?” He asks. 

“He convinced a Leaf team and their sensei to go to the theater with him.” Temari answers as she leans back in her chair. 

“Ah.” Neither he nor Temari share their brother’s obsession with the theatrical acts. Gaara has seen several in the last few months and they are not as nearly entertaining as Kankuro makes them out to be. With that many Leaf shinobi with him, Kankuro should be fine as long as he doesn’t try to explore the makeshift town by himself. 

“That boy’s going to run into trouble.” Chiyo mutters. 

“He’ll be fine.” Temari retorts. “Even if he does run into trouble it’s not like he will make something explode. Kankuro knows how to take care of problems quietly. Backup not required.” 

Chiyo snorts and wanders off. Probably to trap Kankuro’s room as more training. Gaara makes a mental note to disarm some of them depending how late his brother gets back. 

“So,” Temari starts. “Your match with Shikako was interesting.” 

“Indeed, I’ll need to increase my Wind Release training when we get back to Suna.” 

“That won’t be a problem.” Baki says, handing Gaara a plate.

“Thank you.” He responds to the meal and the offer. 

“I was surprise how effectively she managed to corner you.” Temari continues. 

“She’s an astounding ninja. Tsunade-sama would be a fool not to promote her.” Baki adds. 

“Yes, she is quite amazing.” Gaara says as he digs in. 

“I’m surprised that she managed to regain consciousness so quickly after her air barrier fell.” Baki notes.

“She didn’t. Shikako was awake the whole time.” That knowledge fills him with joy. Even the most restrained ninja, even his _family_ , would have panicked and attempted to escape. Shikako hadn’t been bothered by it. He knew she had seen what he could do, _had done_ , to people ensnared in his sand. Yet she had completely trusted him not her hurt her and _he had not let her down_. He had shown her that her faith was not misplaced. This was something that he would never forget. 

“Huh,” Temari says. Gaara glances away from his plate to see her eyeing him critically. “Too bad we can’t recruit her.” 

“She would never leave Hidden Leaf.” Gaara reminds her. He’s a little confused as to why Temari would even suggest it. Surely she has seen how loyal Shikako is too Leaf and especially her clan. 

“True. It is a good thing that you are friends with her.” Gaara frowns at that comment. 

“She is your friend as well.” He points out. Temari gives him a sideways glance. 

“I think she likes you more than she likes me.” There seems to be a double meaning in that but Gaara can’t figure it out. 

“You haven’t been around her as much as I have.” 

“Fair enough.” Temari says with a shrug. 

“Have you given any thought to your fight with Uchiha?” Baki asks. 

“Some,” Gaara admits. “I believe the greatest difficulty will be cornering him without getting pinned myself.” 

“The maze that Haku created is also going to be a problem.” Temari points out. 

“I believe that will be my advantage during the next match. Sasuke primarily uses long-range techniques. He’ll be hampered by the maze much more than I will considering my sand is spread mostly evenly across the arena.” 

“That could prove a dangerous assumption. If the walls are conductive, Uchiha’s lightning techniques could easily attack you while you are searching for him.” Baki brings up. 

They go back in forth on strategy for a while. Plates and utensils were used as place holders for the current shape of the arena and possible outcomes of tactics. Eventually, they came to a halt about what they could discuss without more information. At that point, Temari went off to get some sleep. Baki stayed behind as Gaara helped clean up. 

“How has Shukaku been?” Gaara’s mentor asks quietly. 

“Fine. It has been nothing that I can’t handle.” 

“What about tomorrow’s match? The demon was particularly eager to kill him the last time.” 

Gaara inwardly winces. “I will make sure that Shukaku is locked down long before it happens.” 

“Good. You have been making a lot of progress these last few months.” 

“Tha-“

_**BOOM** _

An explosion echoes throughout the room. Both Gaara and Baki went into battle ready mode. No others follow it, but Gaara races out of the lodgings anyway. 

Unless there was serious fighting going on, explosions were far to dangerous to use at the Exams. The possibility of things going terribly wrong were too high. The amount of control you had over them too little. The only person Gaara knew who would deploy explosions at these Chunin Exams was Shikako. If she had been forced to do so then something had gone horribly wrong. 

Temari and Baki are at his side immediately. Gaara can sense that Chiyo is behind them, moving at a pace that one wouldn’t think possible for a woman her age. 

“Kankuro was with Shikako when he went to the theater.” Temari says through a grimace. She too must have made the connection between their friend and the blast. 

Gaara homes in on the sand that is still attached to Kankuro. His siblings spend enough time around him that bits of his personal sand get caught in their clothing and hair without Gaara even thinking about it. The positive side is that it allows him to track them wherever they are. 

Kankuro is just outside the theater. He is in an alleyway that is hidden by an genjutsu. Gaara teleports past it and immediately finds The Hokage scaring a Grass ninja with a deadly smile and a _very angry_ Kakashi Hatake staring her down as though he wishes he could spread her guts over the walls. Kankuro is just far enough away from them to avoid being in the line of fire. The whole area stinks of blood and fire. Shukaku takes momentary interest before realizing that the fighting is already over and going back to sleep. 

“What happened?” Gaara demands of his brother. Kankuro has already swapped places with Karasu but he’s more than capable of speaking through it. 

“A ninja tried to kidnap Shikako.” He answers. A wave of rage moves over Gaara. The sand in his gourd rumbles. Bits flake off and spread over the alley.

“Where is he?” Gaara growls. 

“Dead, sparky blew off his head.” Kankuro says with approval. 

“I don’t believe this concerns Hidden Sand.” The Grass ninja interjects. Gaara turns on her. He now recognizes as the Jonin in charge of the Chunin Exams, Ryuzaki. She flinches at his glare. 

“I take very seriously the relationship between Suna and Hidden Leaf and I _do not_ take my friends and family being threatened lightly.” Because if Shikako hadn’t managed to get away, Kankuro would have gone after her and if Hidden Grass was the culprit than he would have run straight into more ninja than he would have been able to handle. 

“Can’t let the tree-huggers claim that we aren’t holding up are end of the bargain now can we?” Chiyo calls out as she, Baki, and Temari are allowed through the genjutsu. 

“The support is appreciated.” Tsunade says. Gaara notices that it is more to him than Chiyo despite her place as Stand-In-Kazekage. “I can only hope that Grass shows as much support when they hand over the surviving kidnapper.” 

“We have no idea if he was also part of the plot to kidnap Shikako Nara.” The Grass Jonin protests. “Please give us time to identify the body of the one who _did_ kidnap her and find out why the other ninja used that genjutsu on the crowd. A thorough investigation is the only way we will get to the bottom of this.” 

“You mean give you enough time to bury the evidence you had anything to do with this.” Hatake sneers. Gaara is equally unimpressed. 

“These things cannot be rushed.” She insists. Gaara notes that she is sweating heavily under their gazes. 

“She’s right.” The host for the Two Tailed Beasts and one of the Cloud shinobi always at A’s side appear in the alleyway. 

“Why are you here?” Hatake bites out. 

“Raikage-sama sent us to see what was causing all the commotion.” The shinobi, Darui, says. “Hidden Grass is our ally too.” 

“We appreciate your support.” Ryuzaki says with relief. “Now, if we could continue this conversation elsewhere so that evidence can be gathered?”

Gaara glances at Tsunade. With the arrival of Cloud, Rock will not be far behind and Grass is no longer alone against them. He does not care if they get answers here or elsewhere but since Shikako is a Leaf ninja it is ultimately Tsunade’s decision. 

“I expect to be updated as soon as you have information.” The Hokage answers.

“Of course.” Ryuzaki eagerly agrees. 

“And be present when the other ninja wakes up in fifteen hours.” Tsuande adds. 

“I will try to see that that happens.” 

“That wasn’t a request. _We_ will be the ones doing the interrogation.” Tsunade declares. The Grass Jonin glances to the Cloud ninja but they are silently. It seems that their support only goes so far. 

“I…I will see what can be done.” She might as well have given in. 

“Excellent.” Tsunade turns on her heel, dismissing the ninja as though she was her own. The effect is visible. “Kakashi, it’s time to get back to the others.” 

Hatake sends one last murderous look at Ryuzaki before following his Kage. Gaara walks away, still angry but attacking those in the alley will not help. He mentally distances himself from the emotion so that he can think clearly. 

“How is she?” He asks Tsunade as he falls into step with her. 

“Alive.” That tells him more than he needs to know. Tsunade is confident that Shikako isn’t in immediate danger but doesn’t want to proclaim that she is still weak from fighting him. Gaara maybe back at full strength but Shikako is not. 

“Are you sure it was Grass?” Temari asks. Hatake snorts at her question. 

“Grass clothing, Grass weaponry, two man unit, the sleeping liquid is one they prefer.” He lists off. 

“Plus even their Genin won’t leave sparky alone about her beating the Kantokusha seal.” Gaara and Hatake look at Kankuro. He shrugs. “She was complaining about it during intermission.” 

“Kankuro, Temari, Chiyo,” Gaara eyes Chiyo. The old woman gives him a look that says she might actually listen to him. “Go back to your lodgings and stay there until Baki and I return.” 

The order makes sense. Chiyo, Baki, and himself wouldn’t be targeted for kidnappings but Temari and Kankuro might be. They are incredibly high in Suna’s hierarchy despite their status as Genin. They have neither the combat experience nor a Tailed Beast to protect them should the Exams implode. If someone were to try and take them, Chiyo would be the best choice to protect them. The fact that Gaara has shifted his sand on his brother so that Kankuro receives the signal to gather information stays between the two of them. They split off from the group without a question. Chiyo must be getting fond of Kankuro if she doesn’t object to being his implied bodyguard. 

“What are you going to do?” Gaara asks Tsunade. 

“The safety of my soldiers comes first. If Grass actually does give us those behind this, I’m willing to let this go.” It’s unlikely and not the option Gaara’s wants but it is probably for the best. Konoha doesn’t need to be involved in another battle with another country so soon. Even if it is a minor village. Not with Cloud eager for an excuse to start the next Shinobi War. 

“An example should be made.” Because Shikako is his friend and people should know that she is protected by more than just her own skills. 

“It _will be_.” Hatake says darkly. They reach the perimeter that Leaf ninja have set around their lodgings. At this range, Gaara can tell that his primary sand is nearby. He mentally reaches out to confirm, yes, that it is still stuck on Shikako from their match. She has more on her than Kankuro. The youngest Sand Sibling knows from experience that it will take about a week for his chakra to fully dissipate. Until then, it takes only a thought to manipulate it. He commands it to stay on her. This way if Shikako does go missing he can track her without issue. 

“You’re welcome to stay the night.” Tsunade offers. Gaara pauses and considers it. On the one hand, he would be able to add an extra layer of protection for Shikako with his presence. Sasuke and those he was just starting to connect with were also here. On the other, his siblings were expecting him to return to their buildings, the firepower that Tsunade had brought was more than enough to discourage all but insane kidnapper, and Suna taking shelter with Leaf might be seen as them being scared rather than assisting their ally. It would shatter the image he has been trying to create in these Exams.

He can feel Baki’s gaze on him urging him to decline the offer. Gaara knows that he should but it is still a difficult decision. 

“No thank, I will see you at the tournament.” Tsunade nods and they split ways. The enter their housing to find that Kankuro and Chiyo haven’t returned yet. They sit in silence with Temari as they wait. A few hours before dawn, the pair returned. 

“So, I’ve got bad news, good news, and slightly worse news.” Kankuro announces. Chiyo perches on a counter. 

“What’s the worse news?” Temari asks. 

“Well, sparky has pretty much the entirety Hidden Grass after her. Getting around the Kantokusha’s sealing did more than just freak them out. It upset the balance in the civil war that Grass has been trying to keep quiet. As far as both sides are concerned, she’s their ticket to turning things in their favor.” 

“Explain.” Gaara demands. 

“There’s two factions: Grass Flower and Grass Fruit. We couldn’t find out the specifics but basically Grass Flower is championing rampant militarization while Grass Fruit wants to focus on ensuring that their alliances hold. The Kantokusha Clan allied themselves with Grass Fruit. Between their political power and resources, they are basically the reason that Grass Fruit is in power and there isn’t open warfare going on.” 

“Shikako’s actions proved that their sealing isn’t as perfect as they claim,” Baki thinks out loud as Gaara absorbed that. “That puts the prison at risk, the majority of Hidden Grass’s income, and their ability to ward off other nations.” 

“Exactly.” 

“Which group kidnapped her?” Gaara asks. 

“Grass Fruit but as far as I can tell, Grass Flower wasn’t that far behind.” Kankuro says. Gaara turns to Baki and Chiyo. 

“Has Suna taken a position in this?” He asks. Chiyo snorts. Baki shakes his head. 

“No,” the swordmaster says. “We were aware of some unrest but not that a civil war was going on.”

Gaara thinks on that. His desire for blood has cooled but something still needs to be done. If it takes time to do it then so be it. The desert is patient and a sudden sandstorm can ruin all those it touches far better than a predictable avalanche. 

“What is the extent of Suna’s relationship with Grass?” He had known that they were allies on paper and Grass could only be counted to fight to maintain the balance between the Great Villages, but he needs more now. 

“They have a few of our higher ranked traitors in Hozuki Prison, trading with them is minimal since Rain blocks a direct route, and our ninja are neutral to each other as far as I’m aware of.” Baki responds.

“Grass is known for staying out of the Great Villages business unless they can help it so we’ve stayed out of theirs.” Temari adds. “There hasn’t been consistent ambassadors between them and us in years but that hasn’t been a problem.” 

“I see.” So, it would be no great loss if their relations turned sour. “What was the bad news?” 

“According to at least a dozen different sources, sparky had to be carried back to their housing.” Kankuro says. “Some of it has been inflated of course, but it looks like she won’t be in a state to able to defend herself for a while.” 

“Like that matters.” Chiyo buts in. “Hatake isn’t going to let his brat out of his sight and any Grass nin stupid enough to try to snatch her is going to end up a smear on the wall.” 

“Tsunade-sama seemed like she would give up gambling before letting Nara out of heavy guard.” Baki mentions. 

“Regardless,” Gaara says. “She is weak and Grass has already proven foolish enough to try once.” 

“It’s not like that’s our problem.” Chiyo argues. “Leave the Leaf to the Leaf. They’ll do the same for us.” 

“Leaf are our allies and Shikako my friend and I will treat them as such.” Gaara retorts. He is getting tired of having this argument with her. 

“We’ll do what we can and hope that an angry Tsunade-sama and Hatake are enough to terrify any those thinking about it.” Temari says. “What’s the good news?” 

“Grass is freaking out about Leaf finding out it was them that made the attempt.” Kankuro continues. “If things went wrong, they were hoping to blame it on Cloud. That’s out now and Grass is scrambling to find a way to keep Leaf from coming down on their heads. It seems like they are more focused on damage control then trying again. I don’t blame them; I don’t want to be the one to even _tell_ Leaf’s Jonin Commander that his daughter almost got stolen.”

“Is there anything else?” Gaara asks. 

“Some miscellaneous things but nothing that’s important right now.” 

“I see. Thank you.” 

“No problem.” Kankuro says with a shrug. The movement is probably to cover the fact that he’s holding back a yawn. 

“You should go to sleep.” He speaks to all of them. “Nothing else can be done until tomorrow.” 

There is agreement to that and they all head back to the same room. Chiyo and Temari had been sleeping separately from Baki and Kankuro but that is a luxury now. It would be a bad idea to be divided now. Gaara takes up a spot on the roof. Making sure that he is both visible and that his sensory sand is ghosting through the air. Shikako attempted kidnapping may have opened the doors to others trying their luck and he will not allow his family to be endangered while they rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I say: "Fuck it. Time to Shikara the shit out of this."
> 
> This will be the last update for at least two weeks. I'm about to be swamped with school and won't have time to write this. I will get back to it as soon as I have free time again.


	7. Day Six

Dawn came to the town and Gaara felt no more at peace than he had during the night. The morning was bright and clear, but the tension that poured off the ninja in the tightly packed town might as well have been visible. None of the Suna ninja spoke while they walked towards the arena. Their attention was focused on those around them. Some of them clearly wanted to start a fight if only to end the pressure. 

Gaara, his siblings, and their teachers stayed in a diamond pattern until they had reached the seating. There, Chiyo and Baki split to join the Kages. Gaara wished he could go with them, but even his siblings had agreed that it would be better if he was with the rest of the Genin. It was unlikely that a fight would break out in the Kage Box and if it did, Rock and Cloud would be outnumbered. The contestant seating was another matter. If a fight started there then Gaara was the best chance to stop it before it became serious or, more likely, to give the Alliance the necessary firepower to keep them from getting overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of their enemies. 

Gaara didn't like it. He wanted to be in the Kage Box supporting Leaf and hearing what the other nations were saying about the kidnapping attempt with his own ears. Instead he would have to wait until this evening to be able to do anything about the mess that was slowly unfolding. This event was surely going to affect more than this Exam. 

"Gaara-san, Temari-san, Kankuro-san, good morning." Haku murmured as they entered hearing range. He was standing just outside of a protective circle that the Leaf ninja had created. Inside it were Ino, Tenten and the Mist twins. It was clear that the circle was to protect the twins and give a defensive perimeter to the long range fighters. The only exception to that was Sasuke who was standing outside of the circle and visibly impatient to get his match over with.

"Good morning." Gaara replied to him. Everyone muttered replies before going back to their stressed silence. Temari and Kankuro took up defensive positions around the circle the offset the ones that Haku and Chojuro had taken. Gaara joins Sasuke and they both walk down to the arena despite the fact that their match doesn't start soon. Gaara wants to ask about Shikako's condition, but there are too many ears. Sasuke doesn't seem eager to speak either. His fists are clenched as though he would rather be anywhere than here. 

Eventually they are signaled to enter the arena proper. Gaara and Sasuke take places opposite each other on two of the remaining pillars. The ruins that he and Shikako caused yesterday have not changed much. The ice maze is still there, but Gaara will hopefully be able to deal with it. 

"Begin!"

Sasuke races through hand seals as Gaara hauls the sand from the ground into the air. The latter saw the sand and immediately moves from his position, hands still forming signs. 

“Yin Release: Vertigo Shadow!” 

Darkness swarms around him that could not possibly be there. The distraction causes the sand in the air to wobble in place. 

“Kai!” The darkness vanished but a sudden feeling of nausea replaces. Gaara leaps down to the ground and barely makes the landing as a fireball engulfs where he once stood. His whole balance is off; the genjutsu must have two layers. He dispels the second just as a series of kunai hit his location. A quick Body Flicker saves him. 

Gaara feels the sand shift to cover his ankles in his new location. The chakra in it, reaching out to him. 

“Sand Bushin.” Three identical versions of him appear and the four of them spread out. The ground should be the best place for him, but the ice maze is complicating matters. Best to get a sense of it while Sasuke seems content to stay at length. If not for this match than the next. 

Sasuke met one of his clones and beat it into the dirt when he realized it wasn’t the true Gaara. The jinchuriki is vaguely aware what happens to it and notes that his friend seemed to resort to taijutsu more out of a need to hit something than because it was the best option. Gaara isn’t surprised. This is not how he wanted their rematch to be. The weight of what could go wrong once this fight is finished binds them. Sasuke is clearly holding back his more draining attacks as well as the speed and strength Gaara knows that he is capable of. Shikako's mistake of being exhausting herself during her last match is clearly not going to be repeated by her teammate. 

Gaara is lucky that Kankuro and Temari have already recovered and his stamina will never be an issue. Still, there is no reason to extend this match any longer than he has too. 

He loops around to converge on Sasuke's position just as his second clone is destroyed. 

"Wind Release: Air Bullet!" The Uchiha dodges the first one, destroys the second with his own fireball, and stops Gaara from summoning a third by hurling another series of kunai at him. These have wire attached to them that bite into the sand. It pins Gaara down just long enough for Sasuke to use another technique. 

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire!" Fire erupts from around Sasuke. Forming into a dragon, it barrels right into Gaara's shield. His Sand Armor takes the hit as he raises one hand for his own technique. 

"Absolute Attack: Spear of Shukaku!" Sand whirls in Gaara's fist, forming a halberd that is twice the length of himself. He hauls it over his head and throws it. Sasuke dodges. The spear passes where he stood and goes straight through three rows of ice before destroying the pillar behind them. The whole section of the maze crumbles with the sudden lack of support. Sasuke is unscathed but it doesn't matter. He has gone right where Gaara wanted him to. 

"Sand Binding Coffin!" The sand that had been hiding across several pillars detached itself and hurled towards Sasuke. The dark haired boy fights it off but is quickly entangled. Then three things happen in quick succession. 

Sasuke explodes into a cloud chakra. 

Dozens of kuani with wire launch from everything angle creating a grid with Gaara in the center. 

Gaara looks around and realizes that Naruto has taught Sasuke the Shadow Clone technique because there are half a dozen Sasuke around him at the moment. 

_Of course he did._

"Lightning Release: Radiating Shockwave!" The attack designed to go outward, races across the ninja wire and straight towards Gaara. Sasuke pushed a lot of power into the jutsu. It is so bright that it blinds the Sand Sibling. Ignoring the sudden lack of sight, Gaara summons his sphere of protection and dives into the ground. His choice to retreat proves to be the right one when the collision between the two techniques lets out a blast that he can feel several feet below the surface and enveloped in his sand. 

Gaara creates a clone just as the shockwave passes and places it where he once stood. He mentally shapes the sand to appear injured. Quickly making his way out of immediate battlefield, he reaches the top of a nearby pillar in time to see Sasuke making his next move. The clone is pinned down and if Gaara was there he would have not been able to avoid the attack. 

"Chidori: Cry of Amaterasu!" Fire came out of his mouth and instead of heading to his opponent went down his arm and formed a fist of fire. The power seems to be too much for the hand to contain as it flares up the arm, destroying the sleeve, and forming an almost wing-like image. Sasuke runs forwards and Gaara commands the sand to form a shield around the clone to maintain the illusion that he is there. 

The shield didn't do much as the sheer heat from the technique crystalized it before Sasuke made contacted. The section wasn't large, perhaps no bigger than his fist, but it was enough. Once Sasuke connected, it shattered like the glass it had become and allowed him to hit the clone. The clone broke apart, ending the charade. 

Gaara could hear Sasuke swear from where he was. 

He raised his hands and moved every single bit of sand that he could and had it converge on Sasuke's location. The amount was not inconsiderable. His friend fought it, but Gaara had gotten the upper-hand and it wasn't long until Sasuke could no longer move. 

"Winner of the match: Gaara!" The crowd let out an incredible cheer that did nothing to improve Gaara's mood. He dismissed the sand holding Sasuke and went back down to the ground. This match left a bad taste in his mouth. Neither of them preformed their best and it bothered him. He had been looking forward to this fight and seeing how much stronger he had become. Sasuke seemed to feel the same way if his disgruntled face when they met at the edge of the area was any indication. 

"If you come to Suna, we will have a proper rematch." The offer was thought over for a moment before Sasuke gave a nod. 

"I'd like that." 

They returned to the group and were met with praises that quickly died out. The support was genuine but it was difficult to maintain such joy with the tension brimming in the air. There is apprehension and dread. Bloodlust is starting to mix in as well. Gaara can feel that some have already decided something will happen and are picking out targets. Looking at those that they think are weak and getting ready to pry them apart. Nothing has happened yet. But it would only take a moment. A twitch in the wrong direction, a friend too late to hold back their comrade, and everything would go up in smoke. 

Gaara spends the next match half switching between watching it and eyeing the Kage Box. Haku is brilliant and fast. He uses the maze to bypass the Byakugan since he can be anywhere at anytime. Neji does not let this deter him as he proves that Rock Lee is not the only Leaf taijutsu user to move at amazing speeds. 

The Kage Box is just as animate as the arena. It does not take a genius to see the way they four nations are heatedly arguing. Nothing yet has been broken and the words don't filter down to the stadium but it is clear no one there is happy. Gaara wishes he could form his Third Eye but the risk of the jutsu being seen as an attack is too great. 

"Winner: Haku!" The applause is just as great as for this match as the previous one. A little relief flits through the Alliance as the end of the day has finally come. They all stand to attention and wait for their elders to come to them. 

They don't have to wait long as the Kages move at a relaxed speed but head directly to their soldiers. 

There is little time to do more than nod at each other before they split ways. It is frustrating. Gaara does not like the feeling of helplessness. It burrowed into his skin and made him want to use someone else's splintered bones to take it out. He redirects into something that will not end in blood-shed; grilling Baki on what happened in the Box. 

"It went better than I thought it would. The Mizukage continued her support and Tsunade-sama kept her temper during it." Baki says. Chiyo has declared this not worth her time and has gone to sleep. 

"And our own standing?" Temari asks. 

"Intact as much as it can be. The usual things were said about our trustworthiness but the alliance does not seem to be in peril." 

"What exactly did Rock and Cloud say?" Gaara questions. 

"The spoke up about the invasion, the current state of our forces, our," his eyes flickered to Gaara. "inability to find any adult good enough for the position of Kazekage." 

Gaara ignores the insult. He will prove them wrong and it is not the worst thing anyone has ever said about him. "We need to make sure this does not go out of control." 

"Please, leave that to me." Baki says. "I have more than enough experience handling these kind of situations."

"What of Chiyo?"

"She was more helpful than you think." Gaara gave Baki a doubtful look at that statement. "She may not care about Suna but her dislike of Leaf is matched only by that of Rock. It was easy to see she enjoyed bringing up all the untrustworthy, terrible things that Rock and Cloud have done. Her memory is quite impressive when she puts it to use." 

Gaara thinks about that. He comes to the conclusion that all he can do trust in Baki's ability and Chiyo's desire to cause trouble. As with the night before, the rest go to sleep and he keeps watch. However, this night a visitor arrives. It is well past sundown when a Jonin of Leaf walks leisurely towards Suna's lodgings. 

"Come inside," Gaara says as he Body Flickers off of the roof and opens the door. 

"Thank you." The man puts out his cigarette and walks inside. "Tsunade-sama sent me to catch you up to speed. She and Kakashi just came back from interrogation." 

Gaara nods, shutting the door. 

"They were Grass Nin. Some quick paperwork claims that they defected six months ago but that's unlikely to say the least. The guy who survived certainly didn't think he had ever stopped belonging to the village." 

"I see." 

"Shikako was targeted because of there's a civil war brewing in Grass. Her trick against the Kantokusha Clan upended the careful balance they had for this Exam."

"I'm aware. My intelligence suggested that it was Grass Fruit that attempted the kidnapping." 

The Jonin's eyebrow went up a little but otherwise he didn't seem surprised. "Good to know. We will look into that." 

"How is Shikako doing?" 

"Just fine. Give her a week of rest and she'll be back to blowing holes in the landscape." 

Relief fills Gaara. "Good." 

"Anyway, there isn't much else that we have. Tsunade-sama is demanding the ninja be turned over to us so we might get some more after this Exam is over." 

"I see. Let me know if there is anything that you might require in order to deal with this...problem." 

"That is appreciated. The Hokage also sent me to tell you that she approves of Sand's forming an alliance with Mist and will look to do the same for Leaf when the Chunin Exams are over." 

"Thank you. It is good to have allies who are all on the same side." 

The man chuckles. "True words. I better be getting back." 

Gaara nods and opens the door for him. He watches until the Jonin is out of sight and then closes the door again. "What do you think?"

Kankuro slides into the kitchen from the connecting room. "I think this is the best we can hope for considering how everything might go to shit. It also looks like the Hokage is going to be okay to deal with when you take the position of Kazekage." 

"I had feared that she might hold a grudge." Gaara admits. 

"Me too. It's not exactly like just forgets you tried to destroy their home. But she's dealing with you like your an adult. A _powerful_ adult which is even better." 

"Hopefully her opinion will not change." 

"Fingers crossed. Have you got a battle plan for tomorrow?" 

"No, I had not thought that far ahead." 

"Then lets get to work on that. You're last match should be the most impressive yet." 

"I doubt that will be possible considering the circumstances." Gaara points out with a note of incredulity. Kankuro grinned. 

"Come on, you're aiming to impress! Not destroy armies. And if there is one thing every good performer knows how to do it is impress. We'll work out something." 

A smile tugs at his lips as Gaara sits down at the table with his brother. They talk for hours and it is the only good moment in the otherwise vexing day.


	8. Day Seven

The last day of the Grass Chunin Exams is better than the one that came before. The night seems to have tamed people's tempers. Since nothing has happened some people now believe that nothing is going. At least, not in Grass. What happens once people leave is another matter entirely. Gaara can feel the tension in the air but it is muted in comparison to yesterday. He does not let himself relax. There is still so much that could go wrong. A look from Temari and a word of encouragement from Baki tells him, he isn't the only one concerned about what might happen today. 

"Just focus on the fight." Kankuro tells him as they arrive at the arena. They are early. None of the other competitors have arrived yet. Gaara stares at the battlefield. It is a mess of stone, sand, and ice. Haku's maze has taken several hits but most of it is still standing. The sun dances off of it as it rises above the horizon. Gaara itches to get this fight over with. It's a different feeling from bloodlust, more frustration and less eagerness to see things bleed. 

"Leaf is arriving." Temari remarks. Gaara looks back to see she is correct. The Genin and their sensei make towards their usual spot while Tsunade and Hatake head towards the Kage box. 

"I am going to take my place in the arena." He says. Leaf will make sure that no harm comes to his siblings. 

"Good luck." 

"Remember to put on a show." 

Gaara nods and makes his way down. Since Mist is not here yet, it gives him the chance to survey the terrain. He wanders through the broken landscape looking for anything that might be useful or an unexpected hindrance. There is little that he did not already know about. He takes a place on the top of the same stone pillar that he began his match with Sasuke on. Time slows to a crawl as he waits for Haku. Shukaku slaps at the bars of his cage but it barely registers. The demon is well imprisoned and Gaara doubts this match will test his abilities enough that he will need to draw on it. There is too much at stake and Haku is no fool. 

Speaking of the boy, Gaara sees him shuffle his younger teammates into the circle of Leaf ninja just like he had done yesterday. After that, he hurries into the arena and takes a place opposite Gaara. Clearly, the jinchuriki isn't the only one eager for this to be over. 

"Welcome!" The referee declares. "To the Finals of the Chunin Exams!" 

The crowd roars with approval. At least the civilians are still enjoying the Exams. 

"The fighters are Gaara of the Desert and Haku of the Isles! Begin!" 

Haku dives into his maze at the signal. It's not a surprising move, but Gaara stays where he is. The maze is almost the same height as the pillars and his opponent will no doubt use that to his advantage. As much as it limits him, going to the ground would be heading straighten into Haku's hand. Gaara dissolves his gourd and sinks his chakra into the pillar and into the sand below. Haku launches senbon that get caught immediately. They do nothing more then test out the distance his sand will move away from him. Gaara sends them right back to where they came from but Haku has already switched mirrors. 

Up close, it is clear the Haku is not teleporting between mirrors but moving between them. That works in Gaara's favor. He sends his sand out in try and catch him, but it only scratches the ice. Haku uses the openings to send out a proper attack. Gaara doesn't catch its name but a stream of ice-knives head straight towards him. He teleports to another pillar and starts sending his chakra through it. 

This appears to be what Haku expected as Gaara has to teleport again to keep from receiving a kick to the face. From there it's a tense game of ninja-tag as Gaara tries to stay one step ahead of his opponent. Haku's speed is on par with Lee's and while Gaara is faster than he was six months ago, it is still not his forte. He needs to do something to turn the tide in his favor. 

_Most of the people watching aren't use to the desert._ Kankuro had told him last night. _They know it's dangerous but they don't know the difference between a brief storm and one that will scrounge your bones clean. You can use that to your advantage._

Gaara wants to save this for latter but it appears that he doesn't have a choice. He pulls a significant amount of sand from the below and starts spinning it around him. The momentum turns it into a twister. He doesn't like using his sand this way. There is less control and power behind it than normal but as a smoke screen it will work perfectly. 

The twister grows until it covers the entire arena. Sand flies everywhere except the small circle around him. It's not deadly but Haku doesn't try anything while it is growing. Gaara suspects he is dependent on having a line of sight to get from mirror to mirror. Whatever the reason it gives him time to pull off his main plan. His chakra thrums as it sinks into the pillars, the ground, the sand. Gaara ends the twisters since he can't operate it and do this at the same time. The air clears as the sand plummets to the ground. Gaara pulls. 

The pillars collapse. Crashing into each other as they go down, they take the maze with them. Dust and ice go flying as everything is destroyed. Gaara stands on a platform of sand as the debris settles. He can see a cave of ice in the rubble; Haku's work without a doubt. Gaara sets himself on the ground and waits. 

Haku dashes out of hiding and onto what remains of the pillars that once covered the field. There is nowhere else for him to go. Gaara’s sand surges upwards to ensnare him. It gets Haku's feet and covers his chest when ice appears in his hands. Two long swords form and slice through the sand. It drops to the ground. Gaara's eyes narrow. His connection the that bit of sand has been cut, the chakra in it severed. He didn't know that was possible but it doesn't matter. He has more than Haku can possibly destroy and it will not take long to re-establish his control over what has been lost. 

The match is not over yet though. Sand clashes with ice as Haku manipulates the remaining bits of the maze to attack Gaara. Following Kankuro's suggestion, Gaara sends his own waves to meet them instead of fending them off with his shield. They meet in a spectacular manner that does little besides provide a show for those in the stands. 

When that ice is used up, Haku moves in close. His blades slice through what Gaara throws at him and his speed keeps him from getting caught in the sand. It shows that he _is_ the apprentice of Zabuza Momochi. He comes straight for the jinchuriki without hesitation, swords perfectly aligned to take off Gaara's head. Gaara teleports away and fires a Wind Bullet at him. He dodges but the rock he moves to is not safe. Sand is plastered to everything around him. It surrounds him and this time, Gaara makes sure to bind Haku's arms first. A second later he is completely secured. There is a pause as everyone waits to see if Haku will break out. He does not. 

"The winner of this match, and of the Hidden Grass Chunin Exams is Gaara of the Desert!" The crowd roars approval. It fills Gaara with some joy but mostly he is annoyed. This fight was even more unsatisfying than his one with Sasuke. Neither he nor Haku broke a sweat. It did nothing to alleviate the sense of frustration that plagues him or the tension streaming from the ninja in the stands. 

Gaara returns to his siblings' side as the Kage pretend to argue over who will be promoted. Baki has informed that all three of them will be promoted today. The delay in handing out the Chunin vests is only for the civilians. The farce goes on to fifteen minutes before they are called down to the one section of the arena mildly intact. Shikako stubbornly walks without assistance but the way the Leaf ninja hover tells him that she is far from well. 

Mist hands out their promotions first. Both Haku and Chojuro pass but the twins do not. They have promise but they are not ready. Terumi also now has contestants guaranteed to place highly in the next Exam. 

"Kankuro! Gaara! Temari!" Chiyo barks out. Baki steps forward to give them their vests with dignity. Chiyo dings Kankuro in the head with something, cackles, and then pretends to fall asleep. Gaara fights to keep from sighing. Instead, he looks at his vest. It's a light brown with shoulder pads and the first physical sign that he is close to his goal of becoming the Kazekage. More than that, he has proven that he is in control of himself to the world. None of his opponents were killed and successfully kept Shukaku in his cage. He is no longer the demon he once was. 

Tsunade's voice pulls Gaara away from his thoughts. The promotion of all of the Leaf Genin does not surprise him though it certainly shocks the crowd if the surge in applause is any indication. They aren't the only ones. The new Leaf Chunin gather around themselves, he can't hear what they are saying, but the jubilation is clear on their faces. 

With that, the Exams are over. The Hokage wastes to time in moving her people out. Gaara doesn't get a chance to say goodbye before they are out of sight. It’s a disappointment but he can understand why Tsunade would not want to linger. Mist is not so quick to leave. In fact, Terumi seeks him out. 

"Congratulations," She says to them. "I'm glad we were able to meet." 

"So are we." Gaara responds, expertly ignoring the fact that Chiyo is still pretending to sleep two feet away. "We look forward to hosting your ambassadors soon." 

Terumi smiles at him and he can feel Baki's approval. Words aren't Gaara's forte but he's fairly sure that his blunt way of speaking is best in this situation. This will be the last time they will be able to publicly declare their intention to form an alliance for awhile. 

"And we will look forward to yours." The Mizukage answers. "We will be heading out immediately, are you leaving soon as well?" 

"Most likely not. We are going to be escorting the Daimyo back to the capital." 

"Pity. Then I will see you at the next Chunin Exams." 

"Agreed." _Hopefully as a fellow Kage._

Mist leaves and Suna starts walking towards the entertainment section of the town. Chiyo follows them with an air of grumpiness. They find the Daimyo eating in one of the nicer restaurants here. He acquiesces to leave as soon as he is finished his meal. While waiting, Baki pulls the siblings to the side. 

"I am proud of your performance at these Exams." He says to all of them. Gaara feels a small bit of warmth settle into his chest. There was a time when those words would have meant nothing to him, but now he knows better. Gaara trusts Baki and is immensely indebted to all the support that he has shown him. He knows that this man took a great risk in trusting him and to hear that he has not disappointed him matters to Gaara. "Despite what has happened, I believe that this is the best outcome that we could have hoped for." 

Kankuro stands up straighter and Temari smiles. Chiyo is mercifully silent. 

"Thank you, Baki." Gaara says, his voice not empty of emotions. 

"Now we only have to make it stick." Kankuro mutters. 

"We will." Gaara firmly believes this. 

"Of course. We aren't the greatest ninja in Suna without a reason." Temari replies. Gaara nods in agreement. They say nothing else. The Daimyo finishes eating soon afterwards and they set out immediately. 

Suna has come out of the Hidden Grass Chunin Exams on top though not the way Gaara was expecting. He supposes that this is only natural since Team 7 was here. Still, the surprises were more good than not. He feels assured that he is moving in the right direction and that the future is brighter than it once was. These thoughts will get him thorough the next obstacle he faces on his way to being Kazekage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated this fight scene so much.


End file.
